Pallet racks are frame structures having a number of upright columns or posts connected to generally horizontal beams. Decks, such as wire grids, supported on the beams, are used to carry products, boxes and pallets loaded with goods. The lower ends of the columns are supported on floors and other support surfaces. Material handling vehicles, such as fork trucks, are used to load and unload pallets and product from the racks. When the vehicles or pallets carried by the vehicles impact the columns, they can be bent and cause products to spill from the racks. The repair of damaged racks requires considerable time, labor, and cost. Post protectors are used to guard rack columns from shock and impact forces caused by forklifts and other vehicles hitting the columns. Examples of post protectors for rack columns are described in the following U.S. patents.
D. C. Mittag in U.S. Pat. No. 4,113,110 discloses a conventional storage rack having upright posts with keyhole slots and horizontal beams connected to the posts. A protector having an arcuate front section joined to inwardly directed legs is secured to a channel member. Attachment studs secured to the channel member coact with the keyhole slots in the posts to mount the protector on the post. The curved arcuate surface of the front section functions to laterally direct or glance off blows directed against the protector.
W. R. Vargo in U.S. Pat. No. 5,369,925 discloses pallet rack post protectors located around the lower portion of a post. Pins anchor protectors to the floor adjacent the bottom ends of the posts. The protectors have a general U-shape with a V base. Flanges on the lower end of protectors accommodate an elastic membrane which allows the protector to elastically move upon impact thereby absorbing the impact force of a vehicle hitting the protectors.
C. S. Ferchat et al in U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,697 discloses a support assembly for attaching a sign to a pallet rack. The pallet rack has upright posts connected to horizontal beams and horizontal base members. The support assembly has a lower semi-cylindrical bumper member jointed to the upright member.
J. D. MacDonald in U.S. Pat. No. 6,332,549 discloses a repair kit for a pallet rack frame having a front upright post. An angle deflector 22 is mounted on the lower portion of post 14. The bend in the angle deflector faces forward to deflect collisions from equipment such as forklifts. The deflector is secured with welds to the post to reinforce the base of the post.